Sheridan Smith 'pulls out' of Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special last minute
Sheridan Smith and Gary Barlow have a seasonal single together called How Christmas Is Supposed To Be, which they were meant to be performing together on Strictly
Sheridan Smith has reportedly 'pulled out' of the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special at the last minute.
The 40-year-old star is said to have told the BBC her decision days before filming for the show began.
She was meant to appear along with Gary Barlow, 50, to sing their new Christmas single How Christmas Is Supposed To Be.
A production insider explained to The Sun : “The Beeb were given notice quite late in the day that Sheridan wouldn’t be able to film on Tuesday after all.
“So it’ll just be Gary performing on his own. They’re gutted.”
The Mirror has contacted Sheridan's reps and the BBC for comment.
Other celebrities that were confirmed for the winter special include Moira Stewart, pop sensation Anne-Marie, former Great British Bake Off presenter Mel Gierdroyc, First Dates star Fred Sirieix, The Repair Shop host Jay Blades, and Adrian Chiles.
The BBC previously confirmed that Sheridan and Take That star Gary were going to be one of two 'very special performances'.
Strictly's Christmas special will have stars dance and compete to become the show's Christmas champion.
All the celebs will slip into their sequins in a bid to take home the prize after dancing for judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas.
It comes after Sheridan's Range Rover crashed into a tree close to her home in Essex.
The mum-of-one, who is thought to have been in the car with her boyfriend Alex Lawler, is said to have escaped with cuts and bruises, but things could have "so much worse".
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The crash is reported to have been enough to break a large branch from a tree and local farmers had to help police get through to the scene by cutting down parts of a second tree.
A neighbour had said of witnessing the scene: "Sheridan is so lucky to be alive. It could have been so much worse. Her car was stuck in the tree, it was a really bad crash.
"It could have been so much worse, she had cuts and bruises, but it could have been fatal, she was incredibly lucky. It was a brand new Range Rover, she hasn't had it long. It's almost a miracle she's not hurt herself more.
"It's an incredibly tight bend to take at the best of times, never mind in a freezing storm like Arwen. For the car to be actually stuck in the tree it must have been travelling with some force. She managed to get back to the house then someone called the cops."
Sheridan was also recently involved in a misogyny row and was said to have sacked one of her staff members backstage at The Jonathan Ross Show.
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will air on BBC One on Christmas Day.
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